Rethinking the Miami Yacht Show

MIAMI BEACH – It has been said no self-respecting Dutch yacht builder attends the Miami Yacht Show for it caters only to Americans’ thirst for fast, large, volume yachts.

Breaking that mold is Vanquish Yachts, maker of high-end, luxury motor yachts to 20m.
After the 2017 Miami show, it sold 4 yachts and established a Fort Lauderdale office. “Our models find a market here,” Vanquish Yachts owner Tom Steentjes tells this newsletter at the 2018 Miami Yacht Show. “It is a sexy model with negative bow. It has a unique look.”

He launched his yard in 2013. An inveterate machine builder, he makes fast, high quality aluminum motor yachts. By now, he has sales points in France, Spain, Poland, the USA, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
“We have plans to expand in Asia and the Mideast. We look for partners who are financially secure and established in their markets,” says Steentjes.At the 2018 Miami Yacht Show, he showed 2 Vanquish models, including the 15m, VQ-48 (upper photo). It achieves 40+ knots, courtesy of 2 x 600HP Cummins engines. Steentjes credit his US success to his yachts’ stylish appearance, Dutch-built quality and his ability to deliver semi-custom yachts in only 6 to 7 months.
“I come from the machine-building sector. We build very efficiently. We now build 12 Yachts a year and can raise that to 20.”
Recently, Vanquish Yachts signed a partnership with TRansEquity Network, a Dutch investment company to build bigger yachts and widen its client base.
“They are perfect weekenders that can accommodate up to 25 people,” says Steentjes.
He builds to 90ft. (27m), starting with a 16ft (5.9m) (middle photo) fun craft for 5 people of which Steentjes sold 6 before the first was built. The top of his range, still under development is the VQ90, a 28.4m model (lower photo) that is destined for the superyacht crowd. It will be able to do 55 knots.

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